Ditty-Off #1 Vote for the Most Spirited Ditty!

The Live It Learn It Ditty is a little song that is sung at the start of a lesson or a field trip with us.  It is energizing and sets the tone for an exciting and active learning experience.  We have been so impressed by the enthusiasm of our students that we would like to share their versions with you!    Spread the word each Wednesday when new videos are posted  and vote for the class that shows the most enthusiasm!    

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 Mr. Forschner's 4th Grade Class at Turner Elementary School

 Ms. Harrod's 5th Grade Class at Burroughs Education Campus

VOTE AT THE TOP OF THIS BLOG

Each Wednesday we will post the videos of two of our classes singing the Live It Learn It Ditty.  Please vote for the class that shows the most spirit and enthusiasm.  Voting will close Sunday night.  On Monday we will announce the winner of the popular vote.  The winning class will be given a read aloud book and a special treat for each student. 

Getting Outside on Inauguration Weekend

It's likely to be a cold and crowded winter weekend in DC-with thousands of visitors journeying to the Capitol to celebrate the inauguration of our president.  If you aren't planning to attend the inauguration yourself, what better opportunity to bundle up, escape the crowds and do exactly what nobody else will be doing. 

Below are three of my favorite outdoor destinations inside the city limits and ideas of educational conversations to have- with adults or children- while you are there.  These urban green areas are popular in the summer but are much less frequently visited during the other seasons of the year.  Each of these sites is enjoyable for children and adults, and free to the public. 

Let us know what you think!   

1. Pierce Mill: Walk around this historical (and operational) mill and the surrounding Rock Creek Park.  Learn how wheat is turned to flour, and talk to a ranger about how the river powers the mill.

2.  National Arboretum:  Famous for its azalea bloom in the spring, the arboretum is wonderful to explore in the winter as well.  Challenge yourself to identify plant species without bright blooms and berries to guide you.  Can you learn the names of 5 new plants on your visit?  

  

3.  Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens:  The water lilies won't be out this time of year but this is a great place to go for a quiet walk in the outdoors.  Pick a "sit spot"--a quiet, comfortable place where you can sit for 5 minutes and observe your surroundings.  What's growing?  What do you see, smell and hear?  Record your observations.  Plan to return once during each season this year and notice the changes in your sit-spot as the months pass. 

Caption This

Getting our nails done!

We take a LOT of photos of our students --- both in the classroom and on trips. Capturing the perfect shot is hard enough, but we also have to try to encapsulate the moment with just a few words.

Well, we figured we could use your help with some of these. We've posted our caption below the picture, but we'd love to hear yours. Leave a caption in the comments section, and we may choose yours to highlight. Check back next week and feel free to spread the link!

Dear Live It Learn It friends,

Can you believe first semester is already done? We wanted to take a moment to celebrate our work together and share a few highlights from the school year thus far! 

• 4th graders at Randle Highlands ES were featured on Channel 9’s “Cool Schools” series during their Pop Art program.

• 5th graders at Raymond EC were also featured on Channel 9 during a Pathways to Professions program with the National Park Service.

• 4th and 5th graders at Patterson ES put their own twist on the Live It Learn It “ditty,” as seen here. 

• Read about Live It Learn It’s history and impact in The Washington Post. 

We invite you to “like” our Facebook page, where you can see photos, videos, and more of all our Live It Learn It classes in action! We update the page daily.

We consider it a great privilege to partner with you and serve DC students—and we look forward to more exciting academic experiences in 2013!


Happy holidays!

The Live It Learn It team



P.S. Looking for something fun to do with your students (or even your own kids) over the break? Check out this winter weather-themed art contest with KidsPost!

A New Take on Shakespeare

After a series of conversations over many months, we have succeeded in piloting a new multi-part program with the Shakespeare Theatre.  This program includes three core components:

1. A “Pathways to Professions” visit to the Theatre, during which students meet various staff members and learn about jobs in the theater industry.
2. A second visit to the Theatre to watch a kid-friendly version of a Shakespeare play.
3. A third visit to the Theatre, during which students get to perform a scene from a play they have been rehearsing.

Students learning about the work of a costume designer!

We have thus far piloted the first and second components with a class of 5th graders from Randle Highlands– and each has been a resounding success! Special thanks are due to Marcy Spiro, the Community Engagement Manager for the Shakespeare Theatre for her coordination of this program and also to Ms. Caesar for her work in preparing her class for the multiple pieces of this experience.

We look forward to updating you on the last piece of the program (a student performance) during the Spring of 2013.

Checking-out the Shakespeare Theatre's facility

Student sharing her knowledge!

Live It Learn It Students Prepare for 2013 Inauguration

This week a group of fifth grade students from Raymond Elementary School visited the park headquarters of National Mall and Memorial Parks to investigate the role National Park Services plays in preparing for the inauguration. Check out the awesome story  from Channel 9 news! 

"App-pealing" Opportunity

On November 7th, MavenLIFT hosted an app pitch night at the Arlington Cinema Drafthouse and the prize was $3,000 in support to build an app. 

Chris pitched an idea that is currently called Textcursions which would essentially move Live It Learn It programming onto mobile devices.  Students would be challenged to answer questions and solve problems on a mobile device while on our field trips.  Students would then return to the classroom and edit the work they started on the trip to write a final report electronically.  Once students have finished their reports they could send it to their teacher and also notify their parent of the trip that they just completed.  One final addition is that families would also be given the opportunity to download a copy of the trip report and even print out a photo book for a keepsake. 

The exciting news is that we won!  We are now in collaboration with MavenLIFT to build a working app and we are also securing tablet computers to roll this out come spring!  It will prove to be an exciting venture.